IN a protest in Tahrir Square, Cairo, President Hosni Mubarak month uprooted, Bothaina Kamel saw a slogan that support women became president of Egypt.He said, as reported by CNN on Tuesday (09/13/2011), "When he saw it, I think, we should not just be saying that, we must make it happen in practice."

Kamel did not have to wait for others to realize that thought. A month later, he announced himself as Egypt’s first female presidential candidate for elections scheduled to be held early next year. Kamel, 49 years, not a new figure on the stage of Egypt. He is a television presenter and political activist who had resigned from his job as a newsreader on state television just because he does not believe the news he was reading.

CNN reported that Kamel outsider candidates semcam heavyweight Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Amr Moussa, the former secretary general of the Arab League. However Kamel sure, his campaign is gaining momentum. Although the election date has not been established, Kamel has been in and out of corners of Egypt in a bid to reach the people who he said had been forgotten by the political elite in Cairo.

He admitted that he had no funds, as the leading candidate, or the entourage of bodyguards. But he claimed had a passionate supporter of the army which followed his meeting wherever he went. ”Since I announced my candidacy, we have gained a lot,” he said. ”We have moved to villages and bring revolution to the whole of Egypt, not just the big cities.”

According to CNN reports, Kamel describes himself as a social democrat. He made it a mission to listen to the grievances of the minorities. He said, “I promise, through the election I will be the most informed candidate on the Egyptian people. I know the demands of the Bedouin, residents in Upper Egypt who are in two sides of the Nile valley, the Copts, the workers and groups of different from all walks of this country. “

Kamel believes, his hard efforts will pay off and he would be accepted as a female candidate. He said, “It was first shocked people, and after that they take them for granted, but now they look at me more seriously. They told me, the people of Egypt can not accept a woman president but now they accept me. The stereotype of the Egyptians were, they would not vote a woman, but they will choose someone who can help them. If I’m ready to help, they will choose me. People are very practical. “

Kamel career in radio and television started as soon as he graduated from Cairo University, where he was active in student politics. For six years, he became the late-night host, titled “Recognition Night” on the radio before the show was abruptly halted in 1998. He then continued a career by becoming the host of a television show called “Argook Efhamni” or “Please Understand Me” for the Saudi-owned network, Orbit, for 10 years, before the show was also discontinued at the beginning of this year.

In 2005, Kamel and two female friends founded a movement called “Shayfeen,” or “We’re Watching You”. The move was aimed to observe the first multi-party elections of Egypt. They made a documentary about the venture. Now he is preparing a documentary of the same name to document his experiences during the campaign. So, everywhere he was accompanied by a cameraman.

Kamel campaign slogan, “Egypt is My Agenda”, derived from his experiences during 18 days of the revolution Egypt in January and February this year. ”When we were in Tahrir Square, official media said, we are part of a foreign agenda. That’s why I chose the slogan ‘Egypt is My Agenda’.”

According to Kamel, Egypt’s revolution is a work in progress, even new Mulau.He was outspoken critics of the interim government of Egypt, Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. He said, “I know, we’ve just started a revolution, we have not made a revolution. There is much to be done. It is still possible, we will see bloodshed, as in Libya and Syria for military council wanted to remain entrenched and tried to kill revolution. And, one of the dirtiest scheme is to put the people of Egypt in a state of helplessness in the economy. “

His words are sharp as it does not make it popular for everyone, but his call for comprehensive changes in politics resonates a lot. Walid Kazziha, professor of politics at the American University in Cairo, said Kamel known among young people, a familiar face in Tahrir Square during the revolution and the famous outspoken, especially in his criticism of the military council. Kazziha said, “On one occasion, he was interviewed live by national TV after the revolution and when he criticized the military council, the interviewer declared that he had orders from his superiors to end the interview.”

Young people – a lot to contribute in moving the Egyptian revolution – is central to the philosophy of Kamel. ”What we need, not just a political revolution but also a social revolution,” he said. ”Politics under the Mubarak regime and the consensus is thugs black, so I want to work to establish new values ​​for Egypt.”

He added, “I believe in tolerance and dialogue between generations. I told the elders, we must honor our sons and daughters and assess them seriously.”

Kamel, a widow with a daughter, recently married again. His marriage to activist Ashraf El Baroudi, an activist for judicial indepensi, held on the sidelines of the campaign, traveled abroad to speak at conferences on women’s issues and studied law at university. The wedding took place on the day after Kamel conduct phone interview with CNN. A few days later he flew to Kenya to attend a summit of African women. ”I am always busy,” he said. ”It’s important to keep learning.”